Binary fluid power plant



June 5, 1934.

R. C. ROE

BINARY FLUID POWER PLANT Filed Jan. 10, 1953 '6 mveuron Patented June 5,1 934 NITED STATES itemsv rsrmmr FLUID rowan PLANT Ralph C. Roe,Englewood, N. J., assignor of onehalf to Stephen W. Borden, Summit, N.3.

Application January 10, 1933, Serial No 650,363

9 .iliaims.

This invention pertains to improvements in power plants which employ abinary fluid regenerative heat cycle and is a continuation in part ofmyapplication Serial No. 508,068 from which it differs by the additionof heat exchangers, a

liquid turbine in the heavy liquid line, the extraction of. steam forregenerative purposes from a pressure point higher than the vacuumexhaust, the make up of the binary fluid and otherwise as will appearfrom the description.

" The general principle of operation of such systems is fully describedin'-my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 508,068, 522,214 and520,557.,

The following definitions are adopted for the purposes of thisapplication.

Binary fluid-An absorptive, thermal-binary fluid consisting of twoliquids in certain normal proportions, one of which has a lower boilingpoint, at any'pressure, than the other and the latter liquid having theproperty of absorbing, under certain conditions, vapor of the formerliquid. I I

Light liquid-That one, of the two liquids of a binary fluid, which hasthe lower boiling point.

Heavy liquid-That one, of the two liquids of a binary fluid, which hasthe higher boiling point.

Either or both of the liquids may consist of a solution of two or moresubstances.

In the drawing, which is schematic, l is a furnace; 2, a boiler; 3, ananalyzer; 5, a rectifier; 7, a vapor condenser; 9, a liquid turbine; 11,a condenser evaporator; 14, an absorber; 15, heat transfer coil; 17,-aheat exchanger; 18, a pump; 19, an electric motor; 20, a heat exchanger;21, a pipe coil; 25, a superheating coil; 26, steam extraction conduit;27, condenser coil; 28, steam generator; 31, prime mover; 33, vacuumcon- 40 denser; 36, a pump; 37,-a motor; 39, a hot well;

a .46, a heating hot well; 48, water; v50, pipe coil; 55, a pump; 56, amotor; 58, a coupling; 65, a liquid turbine; 72, a float chamber; '73,float rod; 74, evaporation chamber; 75 a pressure regulator; 76, .a hotwell; 77 a pump; 78, a motor; 79, a pipe-coil; 80, a heat exchanger; 83,a pipe coil; 84, a heat exchanger; 87, a control valve; 88, a controlvalve; the balance of the characters represent conduits.

The prime mover is a-steam turbine of conventional design. The rest ofthe equipment is all'of conventional design and the operation andconstruction thereof, including the necessary calculation of sizesetc.-, are well understood in 55 the steam power and refrigerating arts.

Those skilled in.this art will understand that the details of theapparatus and the binary fluid used will vary according to theparticular requirements attending the use of which the system is to beput, but for the purposes of illustration 1 shall refer to an apparatusshown in the drawing and describe the same with reference to the use ofthe following binary fluida heavy liquid consisting of a solution ofapproximately 95% KOH and 5% NaOH with H2O as the light liquid.Temperatures are given in degrees Fahrenheit and pressures in lbs. persq.

inch absolute. The fluid is heated in boiler 2 to a temperature of 750degs. at which temperature its pressure is 600 lbs.

Light liquid is distilled off, in boiler 2, in the form of superheatedsteam which-passes through analyzer 3 to rectifier 5, where anyentrained particles of heavy liquid are condensed out and returned tothe boiler through conduit 23, through conduit 6 into coil 27 where itis condensed, into liquid having 'a temperature of 486 degrees. Theliquid is then led through conduit 8 to heat exchanger 84. In heatexchanger 84 the temperature is reduced to 222 degrees. The turbine 9reduces the pressure to 14.7 lbs. and the temperature to 212 degreesabout 457% of the liquid being changed into vapor due to the lowpressure. Exchanger 80 condenses the vapor and reduces the temperatureto 192 degrees. The light liquid now enters the condenser evaporator 11where it is evaporated by the steam which is extracted from the turbinevia conduit 26, at a pressure of 18 lbs. and 223 degrees. 1 I The lightliquid is evaporated in chamber 74 at 14.7 lbs. and 212 degrees andflows, via conduit 12, to heat exchanger 17 which it leaves at atemperature of 481.2 degrees flowing, via conduit 86, into 'absorber' 14where it is absorbed by the heavy liquid and thereafter returned to theboiler via conduit 16, pump 18, conduit 47, coil 21 and analyzer 3.

Heavy liquid from boiler 2 passes, via conduit 24, to heat exchanger 20which it leaves at 490 degs., via conduit 66' to turbine which it leavesat 486.2 degs. and 14.7 lbs., to heat exchanger 17 which it leaves at474.6 degs.,- to absorber 14,, where it is mixed with the vapor,entering via conduit 86, absorbing the same and releasing heat ofabsorption. For the binary fluid specified and a pressure of 14.7 lbs.,the working temperature of the absorber will be 480 degrees.

The binary-fluid formed in the absorber, by the absorption of the lightliquid vapor by the heavy liquid, flows via conduit 16, at 14.7 lbs. and

at 709.8 degrees, to boiler 2 by conduit 41.

Steam is produced in generator 28 at 550 lbs. and 4'76 degrees by thereleased heat .of absorption which is transmitted to-water 48 via themetal casing of the absorber and the circulating coil 15. The steamflows via conduit 13 to conduit 29. The light liquid vapor condensing incoil 27 of the vapor condenser 7, produces steam in vapor condenser '7at 550 lbs. and 4'16 degreesand it also flows into conduit 29. From 29the steam flows through the superheater coil 25, which'it leaves at 592degs., and via conduit 30 to the prime mover 31 which in this case is asteam turbine. From the turbine steam is extracted, via conduit 26, at18 lbs. and 222 degrees, and condensed in condenser evaporator 11 fromwhich the condensate flows to hot well,

46. The balance of the steam is exhausted, via conduit 32, to vacuumcondenser 33, which is water cooled by water drawn through conduit 35and discharged through'conduit 34, and its con-" densate' passes to hotwell 76 and from them, via pump '77 to heat exchanger 80, which itleaves at 108.5 degs. passing into hot well 46 where it mixes with thecondensate from condenser evaporator 11 and is heated by extractedsteam. From 46 the total condensate flows, via conduit 54 and ieedpump55 through heater 84, which it leaves at 338 degrees, to vapor condenser7 via regulating valve 87 and to generator '28 via regulating valve 88.

"The liquid turbines s5 and 9,, pump 18 and motor 19 have their shaftscoupled together.

The power produced by the liquidturbines is not quite enough to drivethe pump and the motor supplies the deficiency. Should the pump 18 loseits loadthe motor serves as an overspeed brake for the liquid turbines.

As the level of condensate rises in float chamber '72 it actuatesa-float which in turn actuates the rod '73 and this in turn actuates aflow control valve on turbine 9 so as to regulate the. speed of turbine9, or the flow of liquid theree 'through, so as to maintain a constantprede termined level of condensate in hot well 39.

The regulator maybe any suitable type of pressure regulator. Itsfunction is to control the motor 65 so that it will not pass sufilcient.

heavy liquid to flood the absorber. If too much liquid is admitted tothe absorber it will build up a pressure which will cause the regulator75 to' reduce the flow through the turbine 65.

The heavy liquid described, namely, a solution of about 95% KOH and 5%NaOH, has the following characteristics and solutions 'having thesecharacteristics 'may be used as heavy liquids for power plant binaryfluids.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention inaccordance with the patent statutes, it will be understood that myinvention is capable of embodiment in'a variety of forms of'apparatusand that I am. not limited to the specific arrangement or.structuralparts shown and described, nor tothe particular binary fluid used in theillustration, but that the scope of invention is to be gaugedbytheaccompanying claims taken in connection wlththe state of the prior art.

What I claim. is: 1. That combination which includes; a prime mover; asteam generator for supplying steam to the prime mover; a binary fluidboiler; a vapor condenser for condensing lightiliquid'vapor and 480degs., to pump 18 which it leaves at 600' lbs., through heat exchanger20, which it leaves.

means for conducting steam from the generator and from the vaporcondenser to the prime mover and from the prime mover to the condenserevaporator and for conducting vapor from the boiler to the vaporcondenser; a vacuum condenser independent of the condenser evaporatorfor condensing exhaust steam from the prime mover; means for conductingsteam condensate from the condenser evaporator to the vapor condenserand to the steam generator; and means for conveying condensate from thevacuum condenser to the condenser evaporator said means including apump.

2. A combination according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that theconveying means includes one element of a heat exchanger the otherelement of which is connected in a conduit line for conveying condensatefrom the vapor condenser to the condenser evaporator.

3. That combination-which includes: a prime mover; a steam generator forsupplying steam to the prime. mover; a binary fluid boiler; a vaporcondenser for condensing light liquid vapor and producing steam for theprime mover; a condenser evaporator for condensing extracted steam fromthe prime mover and evaporating light liquid; an absorber for absorbinglight liquid vapor; the absorber being arranged in heat exchangerelation with the steam generator; means for conducting steam from thegenerator and from the vapor condenser to the prime mover and from theprime mover to the condenser evaporator and for conducting vapor fromthe boiler to the vapor condenser; a first conduit line for conductinglight liquid from the vapor condenser -to the condenser evaporator saidline including a pressure reducing device; a second conduit; line forconducting evaporate from the condenser evaporator to the absorber; athird conduit line for conducting heavy liquid from the boiler to theabsorber said line including a liquid turbine; a fourth'conduit line forconducing binary fluid from the absorber to the boiler said lineincluding a pump; and means for conducting steam condensate from thecondenser evaporator to the steam generator-and to the vapor condenser.

4. A combination according to claim 8 characterized by the fact that thefirst conduit line includes one element of a heat exchanger the otherelement of which is included in the means for conducting steam.condensate.

5. A combination according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that thesecond conduit line includes one element of a heat exchanger the otherelement of which is included in the third conduit line.

6. A combination according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that thepressure reducing device in the third conduit line is'a liquid turbinearranged in power exchange relation with the pump in the fourth conduitline.

conduit line is arranged in power exchange re:

.light liquid; an absorber for absorbing light liquid vapor the absorberbeing arranged in heat exchange relation with the steam generator; meansfor conducting steam from the generator and from the vapor condenser tothe prime mover and from the prime mover to the condenser evaporator andfor conducting vapor from the boiler to the vapor condenser; means forconducting light liquid from the vapor condenser to the condenserevaporator saidmeans including one element of a heatexchanger and meansfor conducting steam condensate from the condenser evaporator to the.steam generator and to the vapor condenser said last means including theother element of the heat exchanger; means for conducting evaporate fromthe condenser evaporator to the absorber; means for conducting heavyliquid from the boiler to the absorber; and means for conducting binaryfluid from'the absorber to the boiler. v

RALPH C. ROE.

